Ubiquitous Disaster Information System operated by the Coproduction ofResidents and Local Government Employees

Takeyasu SuzukiUniversity, of Yamanashi, Japan

Yasunori Hada, Isao Oyama and Kuniaki SasakiUniversity of Yamanashi, Japan

Yoshihiko FukaoYamanashi Prefecture, Japan

ABSTRACT:The Tokai earthquake is expected to occur as a hypocenter at the Suruga Trough with a probability of 87 % inthe next 30 years in Japan. Since Yamanashi Prefecture is strongly affected by the earthquake, the prefecturalgovernment is working for an improvement of disaster management framework and facility. In order to enableaccurate disaster response, the authors have commenced a project developing ubiquitous disaster informationsystem, through which residents and local government employees can share disaster information bi-directionally.A social networking service (SNS) is adopted and various communication tools such as cellular phones andwireless gaming machines can be used in the system. The system is operated by the coproduction of residentsand local government employees. This paper presents the outline of the information system and activitiesenhancing preparedness on disaster management in local communities.

Keywords: ubiquitous, disaster management, information system, social networking service

1. INTRODUCTION

The Tokai earthquake with JMA Magnitude exceeding 8 is expected to occur as a hypocenter at theSuruga Trough with a probability of 87 % in the next 30 years in Japan. Most of the region inYamanashi Prefecture, located in the central region of the main land of Japan, is designated as thereinforced area on earthquake measure. Yamanashi Prefecture is also well known as the flood pronezone. It has long suffered from flood and the dominator here in the 16th century regulated the watersby applying some famous flood control measures. In addition, Mt. Fuji, an active volcano, is locatedin the prefecture. Therefore, the prefecture is exposed to three menaces of natural disasters,earthquake, flood and volcanic eruption and it is working on an improvement in disaster managementframework and facility.

Suzuki (2010) developed a disaster information sharing system for a local government, focusing on animprovement in usability. Noda et al. (2008) have also developed the disaster mitigating informationsharing protocol which enables information sharing between different information systems in differentpublic institutions. In addition to public information systems mentioned above, the authors provideinformation systems for residents in order to enable disaster information sharing between residents andlocal government employees, by applying a social networking service (SNS) in this paper. Cellularphones and wireless gaming machines other than PCs can be used as an information tool. Suchinformation system is called “ubiquitous disaster information system” in this paper.

In order to make improvements in disaster mitigation activity in Yamanashi Prefecture, the authorshave commenced a project supported by a fund, safety and security science and technology project ofMEXT, Japan. A city and a town and a local community in each local government were selected as atest field. Workshops for the advancement in disaster response activities of the community and thosefor a risk communication between residents and local government employees were conductedcontinually. Then, information contents to be shared during disasters were extracted and they were

Figure 1. Schematic Representation of the Ubiquitous Disaster Information System

implemented on information systems such as the SNS. This paper presents the outline of theubiquitous disaster information system and activities enhancing preparedness on disaster managementin local communities.

2. UBIQUITOUS DISASTER INFORMATION SYSTEM

Suzuki and Goto (2006) proposed a framework for disaster information systems, based on the resultsof survey on actual disaster responses of local governments which suffered from large disasters, andhave developed disaster response management system which supports local government employees onthe frontline of disaster response (Suzuki and Amami, 2007). This system is equipped not only withan enhanced function supporting response operations, but with an enhanced usability in bothinformation input and browsing. It has been used in Mitsuke City, Niigata Prefecture on trial andwas actually applied to the actual disaster due to No.18 typhoon in 2009.

Since the number of local government employees does not increase only during disasters, stuffalignment for system input is a serious problem still remained. Disaster management which onlyrelies on public agencies is limited and self and mutual assistance of residents is essential. In case ofdisaster information, it is important that local government employees collect information incorporation with residents, and the information summarized by a local government is smoothly sent toresidents.

Figure 1 demonstrates a schematic representation of the ubiquitous disaster information systemoperated by coproduction of local government employees and residents proposed in this paper. It iscalled as the ubiquitous system for short in this paper. A zone of local communities is located on thetop in the figure. In the lower right, a zone of cities and towns is located. In the left hand side of it,A zone for Yamanashi Prefecture is located. Each of prefecture, cities or towns makes a suitableresponse with the disaster response management system mentioned above and each local governmentmutually share disaster information through the information sharing DB. Using such DB, a local

government is able to share information withpublic institutions such as lifeline utilities. Basic hospitals are also included as such agencies forinformation sharing.

Thus, the ubiquitous disaster information system (the ubiquitous system) enables information sharingnot only among public agencies, but between residents and public agencies interactively. Aninformation tool adopted for residents is the regional SNS which is a social networking service forresident groups which promote disaster mitigation activities regionally. Yamanashi prefecturalgovernment prepares to establish a new disaster management center and its operation is to becommenced in October, 2013. The ubiquitous system is expected to be one of the effectiveinformation tools supporting mitigation activities in the prefecture by a coproduction of residents andpublic agencies.

3. APPLICATION SOFTWARES DEVELOPED FOR THE UBIQUITOUS SYSTEM

2.1 Disaster response management system

The disaster management system is an information sharing system used in a governmental office,which supports disaster responses of a local government. It is a web application with high usabilityas a human interface. The system supports information sharing with respect to a minimum ofresponse operations indispensible for disaster management headquarters, and it was developed withassistance provided by Mitsuke City in Niigata Prefecture where two major disasters occurred in 2004.The disaster response management system in Mitsuke City has been operated since 2007.The disaster management system plays an important role in the ubiquitous system and it wasintroduced to both Ichikawa–Misato Town and Chuo City in Yamanashi Prefecture. It will beintroduced to Yamanashi Prefecture as well. Figure 2 shows a screen shot of the system. Eachsystem is conformed to each disaster management organization of the local government.Fundamental functions of the introduced system are not so different from those of the system operatedin Mitsuke City. However, newly introduced one is equipped with a new function which enablesbi-directional communication with residents through a social networking service (SNS).

2.2 Disaster mitigation system using regional social networking service

SNS is well known as a service to set up social network on internet. Regional SNS which targets aspecified region is in general a highly reliable community site operated by a local government. Someregional SNS provide disaster information on evacuation and damages in Japan. However, there hasbeen no approach that residents and local government formulate together information contents needed

Figure 2. Disaster Response Management System Figure 3. Regional SNS Disaster Information System

8

8

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5

1

6

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12

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name

date of birth

type of blood

telephone number

cellular phone number

mail address

chronic disease

and special affairscontact address

outside the region

Number of Responses

6

10

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3

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12

among neibouring

families

within the group

board member of

the group

local community

municipal government

fire department

police

hospitals

other

Number of Responses

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8

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0

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12

name

date of birth

type of blood

telephone number

cellular phone

number

mail address

chronic disease

and special affairscontact address

outside the region

Number of Responses

Figure 4. Examples of results obtained from questionnaire survey

for the SNS and residents themselves examine methods of utilization of the SNS. In this project,everyone can share disaster information everywhere with a variety of tools by utilizing regional SNSeffectively. Thus, the SNS is a measure to bring about coproduction of residents and localgovernment employees. In this project, through a risk communication between residents and a localgovernment in the communities mentioned above, the information necessary for residents was firstextracted out of the information which a local government is in charge of. Next, the informationwhich should be sent from the disaster response management system to residents was selected. Theywere emergency information regarding assignment of local government employees, evacuationinformation and so on. In addition, the request function of rescue, assistance or a provision ofdamage information from residents to a local government was equipped with the regional SNS, andthe function receiving such requests was also equipped with the disaster response management system.Figure 3 is a screen shot of the regional SNS for Ichikawa-Misato Town.

3. ACTIVITIES FOR UTILIZATION OF THE UBIQUITOUS SYSTEM

3.1 Registration on individual information

At Ichikawa-Daimon 6-chome disaster prevention community in Ichikawa-Misato Town, workshopswere held on individual information of neighboring family required during disasters. Throughworkshops held twice, personal information items including information of the family living outsidethe community, which is indispensible for confirmation of the safety, were selected. Figure 4 is apart of the results of questionnaire survey carried out after the workshops. (a) and (b) in the figuredenotes a result of response to the questionnaire on necessary information items to supporthandicapped persons and to carry a seriously injured person to a hospital, respectively. Meanwhile, (c)in the figure denotes a result of response to the questionnaire on the extent of information sharingduring a disaster. Posing such results of questionnaire survey, a table for individual information ofa family unit (printed paper) was made. Then, an agreement was made on that the individualinformation was disclosed to public agencies of disaster management.

After the workshops, a meeting was held by each group unit composed of about 10 family units on thetreatment of individual information both in the normal situation and during disasters. Discussedissues in the meeting were in the followings: (1) confirmation on the registration of individualinformation to the regional SNS; (2) confirmation of personal information items summarized; (3)persons in charge of system input for the registration of individual information to the regional SNS;and (4) storing of printed individual information tables after system input. As a result, a hospital theindividual usually visits and a drug usually being taken are added to information items, and everygroup finally confirmed a registration of individual information to the regional SNS. Two groupsselected a few members in charge of system input, who used internet almost every day. Other two

(a) support to handicapped persons (b) carrying a seriously-injured (c) extent of information sharingperson to a hospital

Picture 1. Registration of individual information Picture 2. Demonstration using the ubiquitous systemto regional SNS (Ichikawa-Misato Town) (Chuo City)

Figure 5. Disaster response management system Figure 6. Regional SNS disaster information system

groups concluded that individual information should be registered by each family, even if any memberof the family has never used PC.

After the preparation mentioned above, the registration of individual information was carried out atIchikawa-Daimon 6-Chome disaster prevention community (see Picture 1). 27 family unites out of45 in total took part in the meeting of registration. Since the ratio of residents usually use PC islimited to only 10 % in this community, residents registered information supported by universitystudents.

3.2 Coordination of the two systems

Disaster response exercise on evacuation was performed at the Riverside disaster preventioncommunity in Chuo City (see Picture 2). After the exercise, a demonstration was carried out byuniversity students on the response of disaster management headquarters of Chuo City using thedisaster response management system, based on the same scenario used in the exercise. In addition,the coordination between the disaster response management system and the regional SNS wasdemonstrated. The information on final assignment order (establishment of disaster managementheadquarters) or an official announcement of evacuation advisories registered in the disaster responsemanagement system was automatically sent to the sharing DB. The regional SNS received theinformation from the sharing DB and displayed it. Then, the regional SNS sent forward theinformation to cellular phones through e-mail previously registered as individual information. In

addition, a resident requested, using the function of “report to city” of the regional SNS, the rescue ofa handicapped person who failed to escape. The headquarters ordered a rescue to the city firefightingoffice. Residents participated in the exercise appreciated a series of demonstration, and evaluatedthe effectiveness of coproduction of residents and local government employees on disaster response.

4. CONCLUDING REMARKS

This paper presented the development of the ubiquitous disaster mitigation information systemoperated by the coproduction of residents and local government employees, centering onimplementation activities carried out at two local communities. This approach is on the way. Theresults were given at the second year out of the three year project in the followings:(1) Risk communication between residents and local government employees was promoted in the two

local communities and a foundation introducing the ubiquitous system was built in YamanashiPrefecture.

(2) The regional SNS was developed and the registration of individual information was made in alocal community.

(3) Disaster response management systems were developed for two local governments.(4) The coordination of the regional SNS and disaster response management system was

demonstrated to residents and it was evaluated to be effective by the residents.

AKCNOWLEDGEMENTThe project introduced in this paper has been supported by a lot of residents in two local communities. Authorswould like to express their gratitude to the residents in the communities, as well as employees inIchikawa-Misato Town and Chuo City.

REFERENCES

Suzuki, T. (2010). Execution and evaluation of an improvement on usability for the disaster response

management system. Journal of Earthquake Engineering, JSCE. No.30: 554-564 (in Japanese).Noda I. et al. (2008). IT framework for disaster mitigation information sharing. Journal of Disaster Research 3:6,

467-478.Suzuki, T. and Goto, Y. (2006), Introduction of an approarch to disaster mitigation using crisis-adaptive

information sharing platform and technology. Risk Analysis. Vol V: WIT Press, 119-1124.Suzuki, T. and Amami, M. (2007). Development and its apllication to response execises of the disaster response

management system for local governments. Journal of Safety Problem Research, JSCE. Vol 2: 23-28 (inJapanese).